Scenes from a Life
by Grignard
Summary: <html><head></head>Naomi and Icheb navigate life on Voyager and throughout their years at the Academy, but with one constant - they always have each other. Icheb/Naomi, C/J, D/7</html>
1. Protection

_Hi all. This isn't my first story, but it is my first submission in the Star Trek fandom. This series was inspired by the scene in Shattered with the adult Naomi and Icheb, along with the stories on this website by Lady Dudley, T_iamat100, MavFan, and dalaire.__

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><p>Protection<p>

Bright lights flashed erratically as the majestic ship shuddered with every detonation of the enemy weapon.

"Red Alert. All hands to battle stations," the computer droned in her metallic voice.

Icheb scowled crossly as he proceeded though the hallways, methodically dodging sprinting crewmen rushing to their posts. If he had been allowed his own post at a station he would be using the best of his abilities to defend the ship he called home. With all of the cumulative knowledge of the Borg collective accessible to him, and what was he doing? Being sent to the cargo bay like a scolded child.

Seven had cited his immature age despite his high intellect as an impediment to his usefulness. Just because he needed a few more years in a maturation chamber didn't mean he was a hindrance on a battleship! He was thankful for a place in the ship, honestly he was, but what he really desired was a purpose.

The alarms blared again, and the spacecraft gave another violent jolt. Icheb struggled to maintain his footing. Only his Borg enhanced exoskeleton kept him from falling flat on his face. It was becoming dangerous to remain in the corridors. He picked up the pace to make it to safety, but his thoughts wandered.

If he had a role on the ship…

Maybe he would be assisting the doctor with a life-saving medical procedure. Or in engineering milking every neutrino in the warp core for an iota of power to escape an enemy. Or on the bridge itself advising the captain on strategic maneuvers. What a purpose that would be!

He walked with a brisk stride, not a run, of course, because a respectable crewman does not run.

A small noise picked up by his enhanced cybernetic hearing gave him pause. It sounded like a cry. Was someone injured?

The ship shook again with turbulence. Thinking quickly Icheb knew he had to access the situation before the crewman and his own situation got too dire. He peered around the corridor only to see absolute chaos. A fallen bulkhead had completely blocked off the corridor with plasma venting in thick clouds.

"Hello?"

Icheb took a quick scan of the area. The blaring klaxons and venting bulkhead made concentrating difficult, but months of Tuvok's Vulcan meditation practices allowed him the extra life altering second. A flash of brown hair, so familiar amongst the small, close knit Voyager crew met his eyes.

"Naomi!" he called out.

She was not supposed to be here in danger! Either her godfather, Neelix, or her mother, Ensign Samantha Wildman, was supposed to take care of her during emergencies. Did something happen to them?

"Icheb!" Her face was white with fear, though she struggled not to show it. She would not cry! Future captain's assistants do not cry!

"Icheb! I tried to go to my quarters, but the bulkhead collapsed!"

The Brunalian gave a sharp nod quickly assessing her dilemma. It was illogical and dangerous for her to squeeze through any gap to make it to her standard safe locations. So what do you do when both ways were closed?

You take a third option.

"Come with me!"

The ship gave another sickening lurch. The gravity stabilizers must be taking a beating today.

He scooped her up in his arms, taking long steps as he made his way through the empty corridor. It was fortunate he had taken this pathway and discovered Naomi. Would she have been stuck in this empty hallway all alone while bedlam loomed around her?

Hot tears soaked through the shoulder of his uniform as the stress of her ordeal caught up with the little half-Ktarian. "I thought you were a hunting Hirogen or macrovirus."

Icheb rolled his eyes. He knew how doting a godfather Neelix was, but the Talaxian's stories often went too far, especially with a child with Naomi's exceptional imagination. Even with her rapid growth and half-alien DNA, she was still a little girl.

He turned a final corner until the welcomed sight of Cargo Bay Two met his eyes. The bay doors opened with a soft hiss. Both breathed a sigh of relief as the reinforced doors closed, muffling the shrill alarms and warnings. Icheb released his light burden to the ground.

Naomi peered around her surroundings. It was as sparse and blank as before Icheb and Seven came on board the Federation ship, except for the addition of their regeneration alcoves off to the side, and a Kadis Kot board ready for action.

Icheb gave a glance at the shaken girl. There was no way she would be in the mood for a game. She had sunk to the ground leaning against the wall with arms wrapped around knobby knees.

The former-Borg knew it was time for his regeneration, but he couldn't leave his friend alone until she and the ship were safe. He took the same position as her, but instead stretched his long legs straight in front of him. To Harry Kim's chagrin, the young former drone was already surpassing the ensign's height.

He felt Naomi shiver beside him. How idiotic of him! It was a full three degrees colder than the rest of the ship, in order to keep the alcoves functioning at peak efficiency. He drew her into his side, figuring it was logical to share body heat. Naomi sighed as she sank into the warmth of Icheb's body.

They sat together in silence calming their racing hearts. Their minds, on the other hand, were filled with concern for their crewmates and loved ones.

"Megan Delaney asked me if I was excited to be closer to home," Naomi said, breaking the quiet. She liked the twins. They often joked with her, and were willing to join in a holoprogram if she asked.

Icheb was surprised at the girl's statement. "But Voyager is home."

"Exactly!" Naomi's agitated voice carried throughout the empty cargo bay. She clearly had been mulling over the statement for a long time.

The young man had long ceased to think of the Brunali world as his home. Not being welcomed by his own parents did little to endear him to the agrarian society. The few years he spent with the Borg after assimilation (thankfully being unconscious during the ordeal) consisted entirely of being suspended in a Borg maturation chamber. It wasn't until his rescue by Voyager that he really began to live – to be his own self and not as a tool for or against the Borg.

He drew Naomi closed to him, subconsciously, glad that she had been surrounded all of her life by people who loved her. All around her would fight tooth and nail to protect her.

He realized in the prolonged silence that he had been mulling over their conundrum for too long. "Home is where those who care about you are. Voyager is only a ship. It's the people within that make a difference."

His companion gave a soft little sigh. "Everyone talks so much about how glad they'll be to get back."

Icheb glanced at the girl shrewdly, slowly voicing his thoughts. "I believe the closer we travel to the Alpha Quadrant, the more the crewmembers speak of it. It is approaching the saturation point." He revised his statement, seeing her confusion. "Remember how disappointed I was at our last meeting with Flotter? You built up how great the ending to _Flotter versus the Volcano_ was to me in great excess prior to our time at the holosuite."

She flushed to the tips of her spikes. It wasn't her fault he figured the solution so quickly!

He gave her a small smile, one that only a few close crewmembers could coax out of him. "You'll enjoy Earth when we get there, through your own eyes. You'll see your father, and where your mother grew up."

It was her turn to turn inquisitive eyes towards him. "You don't know anyone on Earth!" she realized.

Even Seven had an aunt and a few relatives back in Sector 000, and the Doctor had his creator, cranky as the man could be. Icheb shrugged carefully watching Naomi's head bob up and down with the movement.

"I know Earth through everyone's stories. I'm looking forward to seeing my adoptive homeworld with _my_ own eyes."

There was Starfleet Command, the Academy, the great rainforests that Chakotay talked about. If not Earth, even Vulcan and the Klingon homeworld, lands that Tuvok and B'lanna's spent their youth on were only a short spaceflight away.

"I'll introduce you to my father! He's stationed on Deep Space 9." Naomi chattered on telling Icheb everything her mother had told of her father, eventually wearing herself out to sleep.

He pulled her more comfortably against his side. Secretly he tucked Naomi's story away into his eidetic memory. Hers perhaps more so than the other crew members was special to him. The two children were similar, with no memories of a homeworld held so dear to their fellow crewmembers. He stared off across the bay unable to sleep without his regeneration chamber, but unwilling to wake his companion.

Icheb could picture it. If… _When_ Voyager reached Earth, and everyone was reunited with their friends and families, a persistent little Naomi would drag him by the hand to see her much beloved father. She would know that home wasn't a flying ship, or a blue and green planet.

The bay doors opened with a hiss. Seven of Nine walked in with long strides.

"You should be regenerating," the blonde drone scolded him, but the words died upon seeing Naomi Wildman curled up beside him. She gave her mentee an arched look, accentuated by the Borg implants above her eyebrow.

She tapped her combadge, "Seven to Ensign Wildman. Naomi is in cargo bay two."

"Naomi? I'm on my way," was the answering response tinged with worry.

In no time at all, the young mother entered the bay with relief. She listened to Icheb's tale with horror. She had no idea the fallen bulkhead had cut off all access to Naomi's safe havens. The woman gave her daughter's rescuer a grateful look.

"Icheb, could you watch over Naomi if this happens again? I don't want her sitting all alone in her quarters when the ship is in danger." In an event like an evacuation, it would help if her little one had a guide to the escape crafts.

Icheb contemplated the Ensign's request. It would be a great responsibility. Not as lauded as being on the bridge or in Medical Bay, but a responsibility nevertheless.

"I will, Ensign Wildman. I'll look after Naomi."

The grateful woman gave her thanks again carrying the sleeping girl in her arms and out of the cargo bay.

Seven gave him a sharp nod of approval, as the two entered their alcoves. It was high approval coming from the formidable woman.

As Icheb prepared for his rest, he final thoughts too rested with the girl. He would protect Naomi, even if her mother hadn't asked. It would guarantee seeing her smiling face when they landed on Earth. Together, they were sure to find a definition of home off of Voyager.

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><p><em>There will be about seven chapters setting throughout Naomi's childhood to adult life. It will definitely be a romance with mention of ChakotayJaneway and Seven/Doctor pairings._

_Please review,_

_Grignard_


	2. Inquisition

_Thank you Doc Yewll and Penguinfantoo for your kind reviews._

_Here's the next chapter._

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><p>Inquisition<p>

They had done it! Not only had they managed to escape the Borg Queen herself and deal the collective a critical blow, but they had made it back to the Alpha Quadrant in one piece.

Naomi holed up in the safety of her room immediately called up a live shot of the main view screen. The sight of the beautiful blue-green orb stole her breath away. They were there, just a transport beam away. She never knew she missed her much talked about homeworld until it was right here before her very eyes.

The entire bridge stood at attention as the first transport crews beamed in. If they were wary of the plasma rifles hanging off of the security details' arms, the Voyager crew hid it well. After all they were back to civilization now. Their crew consisted of the Marquis, traitors to the Federation ideal, a Vulcan double agent, and two Borg drones. No one knew of the efforts Captain Janeway undertook to mold them into the respected crewmembers that she could rely on every day in the Delta Quadrant. Starfleet only saw them as potential threats.

The elite organization originally wanted to place Chakotay's former crew in the brig, but a stern look from Janeway made them reconsider. Her evil eye was still legendary. All crewmembers would be commanded to remain in their rooms, Federation and ex-Marquis alike. Starfleet Medical would "inspect" each person for health screenings due to their uncharted mission into the wilds of the Delta Quadrant.

The others knew, besides an interrogation, it was really a mental evaluation as well. Flying off into deep space with no contact with civil society could make even the most solid Vulcan crack. The Federation had to be extra cautious with the members of Voyager. Gleaned from their logs, seven years with no one but each other, not to mention macro-viruses, the pitch darkness of the Void, and many encounters with the Borg was quite a tale to stomach. The threat of the Borg alone was much higher priority now that the Dominion War had obliterated the rebel Marquis.

So much in fact…

Janeway entered Cargo Bay Two. The pair of former Borg drones relaxed at her presence but froze at the appearance of the tall man who followed her.

"Locutus of Borg," Seven stated, a subtle hint of awe in her voice. This was the Borg Queen's chosen ambassador for the attempted takeover of the Alpha Quadrant. The first of his kind to have laid eyes on the Borg and them on him.

The man flinched at his former title. Would he never be rid of that moniker? Starfleet had ordered him to evaluate two crewmembers of the newly recovered starship stating his first-hand experience would be best in this unique situation. Janeway's insistence on accompanying him he assumed was due to a Captain's prerogative to protect those under their command. Now that he saw what he was up against, he thought it was perhaps to protect him from the former drones.

He straightened his uniform as a stalling tactic in an effort to regain his composure. "My name is Jean-Luc Picard. My presence here is to ascertain the well-being of you and your fellow crewmembers."

The pair bristled under his steely gaze. They were not fools. A captain of a galaxy class starship does not act as a mere counselor! The reason for his attendance before these two specific crewmembers was blatant.

"What was your designation in the collective?" he started.

"Seven of Nine."

A brief pause. "Second," was the answer from the young man.

Picard raised an eyebrow at that. That was an odd designation, and why the brief pause? Was this another Hugh?

Their interrogator took note of that information, further delving into how the two became assimilated. Seven had been through the fault of her naïve space faring parents. Icheb through specific manipulation as a biological weapon from his agrarian homeworld.

Seven spoke unashamedly of her efforts to return to the collective, the only world she had known for thirteen years until Janeway's attempts at regaining her humanity succeeded.

"Did you resent the Captain's intrusion into your life?" Picard queried. Janeway flinched visibly.

Technically what Janeway had done was unethical, Picard thought personally. The crew had taken several individuals, though coerced by force into another society, and used that same coercion to revert them back to their original citizenship without informed consent. It could be quite traumatic for a human being. The incident with the Bajoran-Cardassian Rugal Pa'Dar certainly made that evident.

Seven's viewpoint was clear. Her true loyalties were proven through repeated efforts personally fighting against the Borg Queen. Janeway had made the correct decision. In addition, Seven had family waiting for her, an elderly aunt, and she and her family had been members of the Federation. She had planned on pursuing a position within Starfleet to introduce her Astrometrics lab design to future long range faring starships. She even was engaging in a relationship with the First Officer (though from the looks of it, or more specifically the looks between the Captain and the First Officer, it was to be short lived).

The younger drone on the other hand was a mystery.

"And you, young man? What brings you to Earth, a planet you have no ties to? Did you embark with Voyager only because you had nowhere else to go?"

Icheb frowned slightly. He was not some errant stray following his master blindly, but he sought to alleviate the Captain's worries.

"You've heard about my past. I know very little about the Brunalian homeworld, only working in the fields and repairing farm equipment at a young age. My parents were distant."

As Icheb spoke, he pulled a small object from his uniform pocket and nervously turned it over in his hands. The repetitive motion calmed his nerves and gave him strength to continue speaking to one of the most famous captains in Starfleet history.

Picard gave a sharp nod at the boy's statement. He had read Janeway's log of the attempt to return Icheb to his parents. Not only had they bred him to be a weapon against the Borg, they reattempted the endeavor a second time the moment their son returned to them. The ties to his native world were clearly severed.

"With the Borg, my time was spent in a maturation chamber."

He did not have the years within the collective assimilating other cultures like Seven of Nine. He had been cut off from the collective the moment their Borg cube had crashed on the desolate planet, no doubt caused by his presence. He had been connected with the four surviving drones, but that was a poor shade of the real hive mind. Icheb had never assimilated anyone in his life, nor would he return to the society which made it their mantra.

"I will not attempt to return to a past I have never really known – Brunalian or Borg. In essence my life began here on Voyager." Icheb turned to the statuesque blonde beside him, "If you'll excuse what I'm about to say next, but I've found a guardian and a mother in Seven."

Janeway smirked at the normally stoic Seven's flabbergasted look. The blonde former Borg returned the favor. Seven had also referred to Captain Janeway as _her_ mother figure, thus making the Captain Icheb's pseudo-grandmother.

Icheb continued on, "Everyone's told me so many stories about Earth. I feel like it's nearly home for me too."

All of the stories from Harry and Tom, perusing the databanks of information on Voyager; the third planet in the solar system was a beacon of hope for Icheb. Even if he found himself unhappy with Earth, there was Vulcan, which he heard much about from Tuvok and Vorik. In addition, the Klingon homeworld was worth an exploration according to B'Elanna.

That was his present goals, _if_ Picard allowed him leave off the ship.

"I've applied to Starfleet Academy. I am determined to join, even if I have to work my way in from the groundskeeper position."

Both captains gave each other a knowing look. Boothby was a mere groundskeeper, but he could run circles around the most distinguished professor and decorated officer alike.

"Please, give me a chance. Let me explore this new frontier. Let me find my own future."

Icheb fell silent after his lengthy monologue. Would the captain believe him? He ran a thumb across the little piece rhythmically.

Picard mulled over the young man's words. Everything the boy had said was true, but was it due to a need to repay his rescuers? Icheb's movement distracted him from his heavy thoughts and curiosity took a hold of him, "What do you have in your hands?"

"It's a Kadis Kot tile. Naomi and I have a weekly game, and she's about to win if I don't figure out a way to block her."

Picard could hear the agitation in the Brunalian's voice. Naomi must be an extraordinary player in order to best someone with the intelligence of the Borg.

Janeway interjected, "Icheb would have to spend his holosuite rations playing with Ensign Samantha Wildman's _daughter_ Naomi in the next Flotter adventure series. Seven plays the game with her as well."

Picard's eyes widened. He had expected Naomi to be an older crewmember, not a child. "I take it you do not enjoy it very much," the elder captain concluded.

Icheb nodded emphatically, "We had to put the game on hold when Admiral Janeway came onboard. We would have restarted after we arrived on Earth and Naomi found out whether she would stay on Earth or Deep Space Nine."

The young girl was just as unsure of her future as Icheb was.

Captain Picard took his last words into consideration. This boy was no threat to the Federation. Naomi Wildman, too, had grown up in the Delta Quadrant, and Picard was not considering locking her up in the brig to decide her loyalties.

"Well, in that case, I think it is safe to say that you'll make it to your next game. I see no reason why you should be denied entrance to Earth and the Federation…the both of you," he amended, nodding to the blonde woman.

Icheb gave the older man a grateful smile. He had done it! No one could deny where his loyalties lay now.

"Thank you, Jean-Luc," Janeway commented as they left Cargo Bay Two, and she escorted him to the transporter room. Not only had Picard declared all of the former Marquis pardoned, he had concluded emphatically that both former drones would reside in a brig-free existence.

"Naomi Wildman seems to have brought the humanity out in the both of them," Picard mentioned.

The heroic captain corrected him, "Icheb and Seven have brought out the humanity in the entire crew."

Picard gave a small chuckle as he beamed off the ship. He would make his report to Starfleet Command that _all_ of Voyager's 146 crewmembers were welcomed home to Earth.

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><p><em>Rugal Pa'Dar comes from the Deep Space Nine episode Cardassians, and there's a follow-up book to his life called The Never Ending Sacrifice.<em>

_So it's still a little more exposition on their friendship, but there's more to come. The next chapter is my favorite._

_Please review,_

_Grignard_


	3. Reunion

_So the entire point of writing this series was for this exact story. Has Chakotay/Janeway and Doctor/Seven pairings._

_And Icheb/Naomi, of course._

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><p>Reunion<p>

Naomi glanced around the crowds of people merrily chatting and laughing at their leisure. She had never seen so many people before! Sure, there were 146 people on the Intrepid-class starship that the whole Federation now knew of as Voyager, but it was nothing compared to now. Family members, noted dignitaries and well wishes of all walks of life had come to welcome the long lost ship home. Naomi had recalled once B'Elanna moaning about seven years with the same people was enough to make the grand ship into a claustrophobic room. What would the chief engineer say about that now?

Evidentially the Klingon, and the others, were much too elated to worry now they had finally succeeded in their mission started so long ago.

B'Elanna and Tom clustered around the Paris clan. At its center, Admiral Eugene Paris, holding a newborn Miral carefully, marveled over his tiny granddaughter. Her ridges were faint, but she had a powerful grip to her small fingers. The few transmissions he received joyfully informed them of the pregnancy. The admiral in his most depressive nights took comfort in the fact that in 70 years one of his grandchildren could meet their cousin in their old age. What a marvel it was that he could see her, in person, on the day of her birth! His prodigal son had returned home, healed, married and with a child.

Miral, namesake of the younger, appeared as proud as a Klingon mother could be. Her daughter, chief engineer of a starship, had successfully sired a daughter in the midst of battle with a formidable enemy, ones her people had never defeated in combat! It was better than any Klingon opera.

Tuvok as per his nature, sedately made conversation with the Vulcan Ambassador designated to Earth with his wife and four children by his side. He had logically not expected his family to make the long journey from Vulcan especially after their sudden and unexpected arrival. Naomi, ever observant, could practically see the Vulcan equivalent of astonishment on his face as his family greeted their missing father at Starfleet headquarters. T'Pel had done a wonderful job of raising his children despite many inferring that she should take another mate. Chakotay had mentioned the name Penelope and volunteered to loan Tuvok a copy of an Earth tome called _The Odyssey. _

Harry Kim, like an energetic puppy, introduced his mother to every crewmember he could run across. The little woman laughed to hear of his blunders as an ensign, patting his cheek in sympathy. Still, she too beamed with pleasure to hear of his exemplary actions. The no longer green cadet would be receiving several promotions and commendations, rightly due to him.

Naomi Wildman flitted around, weaving through the cheerful throngs of people like water flowing downstream a river. She trailed a distinctive redhead, easily finding her amidst the crowd. The woman, her personality radiating strength, towered over her audience despite her short stature.

Her idol, her captain.

Laughing with a throaty tone, Kathryn Janeway was a changed woman. No longer was she responsible for the safety of a crew. She had done her duty, fought a good fight, and finished the race. Those that remained of her original crew, and its adopted members, had made it home safely. The ship, though a little worn, had traversed the great unknown but returned in one piece. The additional bonus of receiving future technology capable of besting the Borg was an added benefit.

Well one of the benefits.

The woman warrior turned to her shadow close by to her. She, with her iron will, convinced the entire Federation to exonerate the former Marquis crew. True, they had performed acts against the Cardassians, but their actions with the integrated crew more than exonerated their crimes. Chuckling with midnight black hair, Chakotay remained close by his captain's side - where he would not stray again. To his chagrin, his sister and Phoebe Janeway had instantly become fast friends upon first meeting. He could see the pair chatting away, no doubt telling amusing anecdotes about their siblings.

Now Naomi wasn't innocent. With a small community such as Voyager, as well as being its only child for many years, life had forced her to grow quickly. She knew Seven had been "exploring her humanity" with Chakotay, but, in truth, she could see it was a shadow of real affection. Seven was in some ways like a child, merely parroting the words and actions of others. She still needed time to know her true self, and thanks to Admiral Janeway, the opportunity arose to explore other interests now that she was on Earth. If they had remained on Voyager, the microcosm of the ship would have forced the first officer and the former drone to settle for each other, with Captain Janeway as the eternal aloof outsider. It was rule one of a captain's duty - a leader must not interact with their subordinates. It was difficult to send a lover into battle or other dangerous missions. Their unexpected arrival on Earth had opened the doorway for opportunities for them all.

Opportunities which the Doctor was demonstrating to Seven with unabashed glee. He was currently motioning to the former Borg the courtesies required in social settings. With his vast database and similar quest for humanity, he would be a good companion to her in this brave new world. He wasn't afraid to be blunt and lecture the woman about tact and delicacy. Frankly, Seven appreciated straightforwardness more than subtlety, and could reign in his high attitude. If anything, should he continually annoy her, it was only take a voice deactivation command to silence him. The pair was planning on exploring his creator, Dr. Zimmermann's laboratory on Jupiter Station.

VOYVOYVOYVOYVOY

Now where was he? She was being such a terrible friend, Naomi scolded herself internally! She promised she would take care of him the minute they arrived on Earth. Everyone knew somebody, except for one lone Voyager crewmember.

She bumped into him before she could see him, a great surprise considering his height. Icheb, Brunalian and also a former Borg drone, steadied her with his large hands on her shoulders, acknowledging her faux pas with a quirk of an eyebrow. So like his adopted mother and mentor, Naomi couldn't help but giggle. She wondered what traits she picked up from her own mother.

"Icheb!"

The young man gazed at his excited friend chuckling at her energy. It was similar to when she had eaten Neelix's triple chocolate fudge cake all in one sitting. The girl had been pealing through the corridors faster than the Delta Flyer could fly.

"Naomi Wildman," he countered calmly. "You must be careful. There are many unfamiliar people around you, and you shouldn't be alone." He had been agitated with all of the people around him. Friends and family alike, they were all familiar with each other. He was a stranger to all.

The young Captain's Assistant looked confused. What was he talking about? Sure, there were some unfamiliar faces, like that strange bald captain who everyone seemed to be in awe of, and yes, she was walking alone, but there were some many new faces to introduce herself to! "But everyone from Voyager is here."

She gave him a sidelong, knowing look. It must be terrifying for him. Everyone talked about traveling to their places of birth or far off homeworlds. To him it meant abandonment and the only future was the great and vast unknown. Naomi gestured to him, beckoning him to lower his vast height to her level.

"Don't worry," she whispered into his ear. "I'll never leave you."

Icheb paused in surprise. It was true; he wasn't surrounded by strangers, only dear friends. Each crewmember he knew would drop whatever they were doing to come to his assistance, and to celebrate his successes. He personally had an admission to Starfleet Academy once he was settled, but he knew when the time came to separate, he would miss his crewmates as much as how they missed their loved ones when stranded in the Delta Quadrant.

It was as if they were... no, they were family.

And dear, dear Naomi. She always kept her promises. With her by his side, he could fear nothing.

The stormy cloud of loneliness that had been consuming him ever since they landed faded away, completely chased away by the bright sunshine of Naomi's smile.

He smiled warmly in return. As always, Naomi was one of the few capable of coaxing such a response from him. "You're right. I shouldn't be concerned. Have you met your father?"

Naomi nodded her head vigorously. After their arrival, and while the crewmembers were receiving a round of medical inspections before being allowed to disembark the ship, the girl noticed security details taking away the former-Marquis members, Seven, and Icheb. She had refused to set foot off the ship until they all had returned safely. Janeway, upon her return, had glanced over to her companion, the tall, bald captain, giving Naomi a proud nod. "That's my Captain's Assistant."

The man suppressed a chuckle, saying in an accented tone, "You're very fortunate to have such a fine one. Perhaps I could persuade you to join my crew?"

Naomi could only grin back shaking her head ruefully. Janeway would always be her captain and Voyager, her ship. All of the riches of the universe could never replace that.

VOYVOYVOYVOYVOY

Greskrendtregk glanced around warily. Where did Naomi run off to? He swore that child received more of the Terran talent for trouble than Ktarian. Still he couldn't ask for a better daughter. He hadn't even known Samantha was pregnant before embarking on what was initially Voyager's shakedown flight. The maiden voyage was only supposed to take a few days to the Badlands and back, not a few years!

It was with some regret that he had missed the birth of his child, and her initial stages of growing up. To think that his beloved wife and child swore by their holographic EMH's care, it was preposterous. He'd have to get Doctor Bashir to evaluate them with a thorough checkup. His child seemed fine despite the circumstances. As the only child on Voyager, she seemed to develop an almost frightening level of intelligence, and was clearly comfortable around technology.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" His wife, Ensign Samantha Wildman greeted him fondly. It was so nice to see his face again. There were some dark nights where she ever despaired of ever seeing him alive.

He touched her hair softly, also marveling in the miracle that she was before him. "I can't find Naomi."

Samantha did a quick scan of the crowded room. She was obviously practiced with locating the truant girl because the mother found her child easily.

"She's with Icheb, of course."

The blonde ensign was unsure of why Naomi was so drawn to the two ex-Borg members, but the relationship was mutually beneficial. The two greatly expanded the girl's capacity for scientific pursuits, while she helped them regain their humanity.

Gresk was alarmed to see his little daughter laughing and chatting excitedly with a young _boy_. She was way too young to be participating in such adult activities!

"Now, Greskrendtregk. They're good friends," Samantha replied looking affectionately at the two. Being the only child on Voyager had forced her little one to mature quickly, but Naomi still maintained her innocence. She turned back to her husband and was alarmed to see his face.

His spikes flared a deep purple, a sign of great agitation. His words could barely leave his mouth.

"Sweetheart! What's wrong? Let me find the Doctor for you!"

"What…He's… Samantha, he's touching her spikes!"

Her mother's instincts reared up, and she whipped herself around like a vengeful Valkyrie to protect her young. What she saw was the young Brunalian, leaning down, stroking Naomi's spikes gently with the pad of his thumb, laughing at something she had said.

Samantha relaxed immediately and shrugged slightly, "Oh? Icheb does that for her sometimes to calm her down. She's probably over-excited. It helped whenever Voyager was under attack or when Naomi was ill. I did it once to her, but she made a face and squirmed away. I never tried again." She was still concerned to see her husband's ashen face. "Gresk, what is it?"

Greskrendtregk took a deep breath, struggling to reign in his distress. Humans nowadays! "Not anyone can touch her spikes! When a Ktarian female allows her spikes to be touched by someone else, she is confirming that that person is her future mate."

"Oh…oh! Well, I'm sure it's only a temporary indication or infatuation," Samantha started but trailed off. The expression on her husband seemed to contradict that belief. The bonding must be permanent then. Ensign Wildman had never considered that before. She only knew of the male Ktarian habits. The databanks on Voyager had been woefully bereft of information of the _female_ Ktarian behaviors. This was… not entirely unexpected. As her mother, Samantha couldn't place an entry in the pool for when Naomi and Icheb would finally get their act together, in Tom's words, but she could certainly place a hint into B'Elanna's ear and split the winnings.

The weary husband sighed, seeing his wife's unruffled expression. No one knew it, but Samantha Wildman could be a fiend if she put her mind to an idea. He tucked his wife's arm under his to her confusion.

"Come on, Samantha."

"Where are we going, Gresk?"

Greskrendtregk replied with only the sadness and humor that a father could give. "I might as well be introduced to my future son-in-law now rather than later."

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><p><em>The purple spikes and the shortening of Greskrendtregk's name comes from MavFan's story <em>Reporting for Duty_._

_Please review,_

_Grignard_


	4. Academy

Academy

Naomi dashed through Starfleet Academy's dormitory hallways heedless of how she appeared to any onlookers. Bypassing Andorians, humans, and everything in between with remarkable speed, she made her way quickly to her destination.

Icheb! You're over thirty minutes late for our usual morning breakfast! She thought fuming.

Their meals together had been a routine by now. Naomi, of course, had been tardy her usual five minutes (she tended to oversleep) which Icheb typically and kindly accounted for by reserving a table for the pair while he waited. To her surprise today, the ever punctual Brunalian had never showed up! The man was as prompt as a Vulcan unless he had lost himself in a warp mechanics lecture.

The girl slid to a halt outside his room where a small crowd had gathered. Was something wrong?

Spotting one of his Vulcan neighbors, T'Kar lingering in the hallway outside his door, Naomi pounced.

"T'kar! What's going on?"

The man said in his monotonous tone, "I walked over to Cadet Icheb's quarters to enquire if our appointment was still scheduled for the appropriate time today, but he has not been responding to hails. The computer has confirmed his location is here. Security has been called to grant us access to his quarters."

What? This was most unusual! As a senior Cadet, Icheb was granted his own quarters in a spacious suite. Naomi, as a lowly freshman, had to share her quarters with three other cadets. With the tight setting, well, let's just say she was making the most of her classes in diplomacy. But what had happened to Icheb?

"Icheb does have a full day planned," she murmured warily.

T'kar was right about the date. Including classes, Icheb was also scheduled after their breakfast to assess the design calculations on a proposal to improve Galaxy-class starships' warp core efficiencies with his neighbor. The former Borg was fretting over a non-standard outlier, but after reviewing it with the best chief engineer in the universe (B'Elanna would forever hold that ranking in Naomi's opinion), Icheb had been confident in the design. That was how Naomi had left him last night.

Others had found in strange that the young freshman was already so familiar with Starfleet Academy, and her close relationship with the quiet Brunalian. Those who knew her as a child thought it typical of their Voyager baby. Not only had she questioned Icheb every minute to describe his first years at the Academy, she had often visited when allowed.

Family Day, when those enrolled in the Academy could be visited by their loved ones, was always interesting regarding the former drone. For one having no blood relatives anywhere near the quadrant, he certainly had a steady stream of visitors looking out for his well-being and safety.

A few highbrow members of the board grumbled about the admittance of someone with Icheb's unique past, but a harsh word from Captain Jean-Luc Picard himself, ensured that the freed drone had proved his loyalties time and time again. It helped that his most frequent visitors were Admiral Janeway, Professor Chakotay, and several members of the famed Voyager senior staff.

Both cadets had a legacy of explorers to maintain, ingrained in them due to the love of their adopted family. In all honesty, the pair missed being space bound, the hum of the warp drive beneath their feet, and the exhilaration of the unknown. Every day was one step closer to that lofty goal.

So why did Icheb not show up today?

A few of the cadets looked nervously as Naomi approached the access panel.

"You can't bypass the access code, and security said they'd come in an hour," they cautioned her.

Naomi huffed in impatience and worry. She definitely couldn't wait that long! Icheb could be hurt! To their surprise, she easily keyed in the six digit passcode to his room. The door opened with a gentle hiss.

At their astonished looks, she could only shrug, "It's the date when Voyager arrived back into the Alpha Quadrant." She too had chosen all of her passcodes around memories of her childhood home.

She and the other onlookers entered his neat quarters. Naomi could never keep her room so organized to her eternal regret. Her mother loved to surprise her with unannounced visits. The few personal touches stood out in the sparse room. Holoimages lined his desk. One of Icheb with his guardian, Seven-of-Nine was prominent on the lacquered surface. Next to it was him holding baby Miral, who by this stardate was no longer a baby, but an energetic girl. Naomi's favorite was a recent one of her and him, smiling, his long arm around her shoulder in front of the retired Voyager. There had been many nostalgic stories and tears shed that day. B'Elanna's ceremonial gift of a _mek'leth _hung on the wall. Naomi also had a matching blade in her quarters.

Please be alright, Naomi fretted as they delved deeper into Icheb's quarters.

The group entered his bedroom, its bed, of course, unoccupied. Naomi used the bed in most cases, staying overnight after a long day of studying or a row with her roommates. Icheb instead used his regeneration alcove salvaged from Voyager. The students who watched the apparatus being installed into the room swore they heard the screams of all the people who had ever been assimilated by the ex-drone as it was being powered up.

B'Elanna Torres, who had performed the installation personally, had overheard the rumors. Nothing flashed quicker than Academy gossip. She lashed out with her famous Klingon temper.

"Idiotic cadets! The next time I come for maintenance it would be for your prejudiced notions!"

The engineer's memories of attending Starfleet Academy were not fond. Most of it was of her being harassed for her half-Klingon heritage. She would not stand for her fellow crewmember and protégé to be treated so callously by thoughtless probies.

With a sigh of relief, Naomi finally saw him. Icheb, his broadening shoulders slowly catching up to his tall height and locks of dark hair, stood regenerating, oblivious to the entire world.

She could have sunk to the floor in relief if she was alone. He was unhurt. He hadn't been abducted, assimilated, or any of the outrageous thoughts she had circling around in her head. He just hadn't woken up. Naomi regarded the device before her with a clinical eye, racking her brain for a solution.

"The regeneration sequence code probably has to be reset. Seven was supposed to look at it later this week," she murmured absentmindedly.

The few around her looked at each other in awe at mentioning the other famous former drone. They had seen a glimpse of the stunning blonde with her companion, the holographic doctor, in Icheb's quarters wishing him luck in his first day of classes. Needless to say, the two Voyager children had received many requests to regard their classmates with stories of their time out in the fringes of civilized space.

The cadet rummaged around her pack for her spanner, glad that she had been carrying her tool case on the way to her practical applications in engineering course. Taking the light tool in one hand, she hopped on the night stand next to the alcove with a limber leap.

"Naomi, that is not a stable foundation for you to perform repairs on," T'Kar lectured, his eyebrow quirking in as much consternation a Vulcan would allow himself.

She ignored his lecture leaning over as far as possible to reach the access panel on the far side of the alcove.

"It'll only just take a second to reconfigure the sequence."

Doing so would signal a reset ending the regeneration, in essence waking Icheb up. She stretched a little more, darn her short arms, balancing precariously on one foot against the nightstand, and the other against the smooth outer casing of the dark regeneration chamber. She was practically sprawled on top of the alcove itself!

The girl worked efficiently. Like everything in her life, having lived with and been personally mentored by the best engineer, helmsman, and doctor made her quite capable of any situation. Inputting in the final confirmation signals, Naomi let out a loud "Yes!" as she managed to engage the system reset.

Unfortunately as she did so, her braced foot slipped against the slick surface of the alcove sending her tumbling off the surface, rolling off the front of the apparatus.

_Regeneration is complete_, the computer droned as Icheb stepped out of his alcove.

Only his enhanced Borg exoskeleton allowed him to react to catch Naomi Wildman as she literally fell from the sky.

The girl braced her arms around his neck, blushing at his shocked expression.

"Good morning, Icheb," she said with the giggles. This must have been some wake up call for him.

Icheb studied her pretty, laughing face, and smiled in return.

"Good morning Naomi Wildman. Why are you here? What has happened?"

She gestured up with one hand, the other still placed gently against his sturdy frame.

"Your alcove malfunctioned. You missed our breakfast appointment, and the others were worried about you."

Icheb looked around with shock, noticing the brightness of the lost morning, and that he was surrounded by his fellow Cadets, still holding his best friend. Sheepishly he put Naomi down.

His neighbors and classmates often saw that the ex-drone seemed to relax significantly when the half-Ktarian was around him. It was as if he was a whole another person around her.

The young man was surprised by his classmates' concern. He always thought they feared him too much to care about his well-being. Perhaps the years together had changed them.

He nodded to them, "I apologize for my tardiness and for the trouble. If you'll excuse me, I'll get ready." He gestured over to T'kar. "We can go over our calculations…"

"…After he eats breakfast with me," Naomi interjected.

Icheb softly chuckled in annoyance, but answered her demand with a fond smile.

"After I eat breakfast with Naomi."

The others grinned at him as they parted from his quarters, thankful that nothing happened to be wrong with their fellow classmate. He was a smart, helpful, and efficient young man.

Who was wrapped around the finger of first-year Cadet Naomi Wildman.

* * *

><p><em>Please review,<em>

_Grignard_


	5. Realization

_Happy Holidays to everyone. May you always come home to a warm hearth._

* * *

><p>Realization<p>

Icheb leaned back against the cool stone of courtyard's main fountain, its rhythmic flow soothing to his troubled mind. He had been delivering status reports to Starfleet's Engineering department before his scheduled departure to rejoin the Mateo.

Fresh out of the Academy, he had been assigned a position on the formidable ship due to his exceptionally high marks. The ensign tarried today, lost in contemplation. He had several diagnostic logs to analyze at his return, but that was not what troubled his thoughts. Over and over again, he had run his conundrum in his mind and his efforts recently to solve it.

The past could not answer his questions.

He had researched works from all walks of life in Starfleet's vast databanks, from the passionate Klingon operas to the methodical tomes of Vulcan matchmaking policies.

"She is a healthy, mature female who is still within her years of bearing children," K'tar, his former Vulcan neighbor also assigned to the Mateo had stated, after quirking an eyebrow over Icheb's reading material.

Yes, logically this was true, but that criteria could fit half of the universe. She was much more to him than that dry description.

Those with present experience had also not solved the mystery.

Icheb had attended a gathering recently, a sort of mini-reunion of Voyager's illustrious crew - specifically its male half.

VOYVOYVOYVOYVOY

Harry Kim had been engaged to be married to his girlfriend, a young lieutenant he had met after being assigned to his first spacecraft after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant, the USS Rhode Island. Tom Paris, his best friend and best man, had gladly planned the former ensign's bachelor party. With a wordless look of warning if the presence of any scantily clad Orion Slave girls crossed her threshold, B'Elanna had left the men to their stag do.

Contrary to the former Chief Engineer's thoughts, the men merely spent the night grilling steaks to perfection in the Paris' backyard. It was a clear night as they relaxed sipping Chakotay's prized Antarian cider. They reminisced about their shared past adventures, what trials everyone was encountering with presently at their jobs, and the mysteriousness of the future.

They were quite interested in one person's future, much to the Brunalian's chagrin.

With a subtle nod from Tom, the Doctor jumped into the conversation between Tuvok and the young man, "Tuvok, Icheb and Naomi went to visit you on Vulcan recently?"

The Lieutenant nodded his head succinctly. "They arrived to see my youngest daughter, recently born to T'Pel."

It had been a miracle that his aged wife could have another child, but his little one represented the joy of his return from a presumed death. With this daughter, he would be present in all aspects of her life, and not lose 7 years like with his other offspring.

"You and Naomi travel quite often together," hinted the Doctor in a not at all subtle way towards the third member of their group.

"Naomi has always been a suitable traveling companion," Icheb replied, but honestly he had tucked away a special memory during that particular visit.

Icheb had been conversing with Tuvok's eldest son about his schoolwork at the Vulcan Academy when the soft coo of a baby had interrupted. Naomi looked sweet, holding the tiny baby, gently rocking her as Vulcan's bright sun haloed the pair. The former Borg drone walked to the picturesque scene, his feet drawn like a magnet.

His cheek brushed against Naomi's soft hair as he leaned over close to the baby.

"The Doctor has stated that there is nothing in the universe that smells as unique as a newborn baby," he murmured in her ear. Personally, he did not think it to be true, but he did not have much experience with infants besides Miral. She, of course, had grown with a mixture of her father's humor and her mother's temper, much to the exasperation of her parents.

Icheb offered a long finger that the baby grabbed, kicking and smiling widely. In a few years, that emotion would be purged from her, preferring a life of logic and stoicism instead.

The Brunalian had considered a life on Vulcan. Their culture had none of the Terran penchant for subterfuge or confusing doublespeak he could never quite comprehend. Icheb preferred the honesty and candidness common to him and Seven.

But he would miss the smiles.

Specifically Naomi's.

The young girl had been a balm to his first few weeks after Voyager had made its spectacular return. Earth was sometimes as alien a culture as the Borg Collective. The little half-Ktarian was learning too. Naomi drew him out to social events she knew he would tolerate or even enjoy. He in turn, as he always had, sought to widen her technical education, and protect her.

He would always protect her. It didn't take much. He could scare off most bullies by his presence alone. The young half-Ktarian growing up was often picked on due to her small stature and intellect. Skipping many academic levels thanks to his and Seven's tutelage was a wonder to her teachers, but not to her competitive classmates. What was most irksome were the suitors that appeared later in his best friend's life. None of them valued Naomi like he did; only wanting her for her status as a famed Voyager child. He himself had to turn down females seeking similar celebrity.

Icheb, Tuvok, and the Doctor drifted back to the rest of the men gathered around the lit bonfire in Tom's backyard, the conversation soon drifting towards the pursuit of the women in their lives.

The former Voyager pilot had lightly teased Icheb bringing up the young man's disastrous assessment that B'Elanna Torres had been in love with him. Needless to say Icheb knew better now.

Everyone knew of Tom and B'Elanna's tumultuous courtship on Voyager. Tuvok's was as Vulcan tradition arranged by the Elders. Harry had taken all of his courage gleaned from his time on the lost ship, accepting a blind date with his now fiancé before he could talk himself out of it.

Seven had of course realized the error in her dalliance with Chakotay. She had initially based the relationship on logic and the small microcosm of the Voyager ship. The Doctor, in love with her since he first laid photonic eyes on her, stayed as her supportive friend, too hesitant to intrude on her burgeoning humanity, and respecting that she should explore her newfound options. The blonde, after a few disastrous dates (some due to her part, others due to her date), in short time threw his lessons on personal space to the wind, made her feelings quite known after realizing the hologram's true worth in her life.

"Seven and I are about to embark on a short interstellar trip ourselves," The Doctor gladly regaled those present with the news. It was a milestone in any typical steady relationship. Those who heard raised a toast to his success.

It was his mentor and idol Chakotay's words that really struck a tone with Icheb. The former Commander knew quite well of Icheb's struggles. He suspected a connection between the two ever since he saw the pair assembling a genetic jigsaw puzzle back when they were still adrift in the Delta Quadrant. Hopefully his words could aid his young protégé.

"I once told Kathryn that there were some barriers we never crossed. I realized now that it was because I made them, and I was too afraid to break them."

The former captain and her first officer had danced around each other like two Targs fighting over dominance. After months of butting heads with their leadership styles, Chakotay learned it was better to guide Kathryn than to direct her.

Weekly end of shift debriefings had led to late evenings. Late evenings had transitioned to dinners, and dinners to a few soul baring nights and a surprisingly steady bond. Chakotay knew he was a friend when Janeway loaned him her personal copy of Inferno by Dante. That it was given to her by Mark, her former fiancé was another sign of her trust in him. The trust he had damaged by accepting a relationship with Seven of Nine, her surrogate daughter.

Stubborn woman that she was, Kathryn never let a word slip of her unhappiness. She merely shielded herself in the armor that was the Captain's duty. Admiral Janeway had changed all that. By shifting forward their destination to Earth by sixteen years, so too had the Admiral changed the timeline of Captain Janeway's relationship with her first officer.

Icheb hesitated for a moment, "You all make it seem like entering into a relationship is a battle. Either it's a headlong charge or a subtle dance in maneuvers over years. With Naomi, everything is simply easy."

She could make him laugh and talk freely with no effort at all. His friends were astounded at his change in personality by her mere presence.

The men could only shrug in acknowledgement.

Chakotay could only say succinctly, "Naomi is your best friend, and you love her. Is she worth it?"

"Yes."

The Commander murmured, "Then it doesn't matter how you tell her." He gestured to the men around him, "Don't wait, or you'll only end up with regrets."

With raised glasses, the men gave a toast to the women in their lives, and silently wished Icheb luck with his.

VOYVOYVOYVOYVOY

Perhaps the future...

Icheb took a deep sigh. Not a soul was in sight. He was probably breaking nine levels of security protocals by even thinking about what he was about to do.

But desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Q-Ball," he spoke aloud wondering if his friend could hear him.

He was beginning to feel very foolish indeed when a shimmer of light and a mischievous smirk was the answer to his query.

"Itchy!" the omnipotent being exclaimed, arms open in greeting. His brow wrinkled in confusion, observing Icheb's broader shoulders and taller height. "What? How long has it been?"

The former Borg drone smiled. Q Junior was still in his adolescent form, not a day older than when Icheb last saw him in the Delta Quadrant.

With a snap of his fingers the younger Q soon rectified his error transforming into an adult male of similar build to his first and only friend.

"I see Aunt Kathy pulled some strings," Q Junior remarked.

Icheb nodded in agreement, "It's a long story. Admiral Janeway..."

The intergalactic entity merely waved his hands, "It's alright. I can think of a faster way." Again he snapped his fingers and with a bright flash of light, Icheb saw the recent years of his life run through a lightspeed pace.

"There! I'm all caught up now!" Q Junior exclaimed. His unfortunate companion could only shake his head to get rid of the strange sensation he just experienced.

"Now, Naomi Wildman, huh? She's really turned into a looker."

Icheb merely gave him a sullen expression. Actually the man always looked dour, but Q Junior knew now was not the time for humor.

Not that it ever stopped him.

Q Junior gave a wry smile as he exclaimed, "No matter what millennia, what planet, what culture, it's always the same problem: love!"

Specifically, how to take the leap and tell the object of your affections your feelings. Even nigh omnipotent beings like Q required a risk of the heart, just ask his mother and father. On second thought, his father would quip it was more a sacrifice of pride, not heart.

"I would tell you to present the still beating heart of a freshly killed Targ, but I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate it," Q stated.

"Definitely not," Icheb confirmed. His best friend wasn't a complete sentient rights activist, but she certainly wouldn't accept his suite carrying that.

"Sonnets, poems, Klingon operas, they all have the same intent."

Icheb looked on in confusion, and Q sought to clarify.

"What was Aunt Kathy and Chakotay's problem? What does Seven of Nine have no issues with?"

There was further silence from his puzzled companion.

"You mortal bipeds sometimes amaze me on how you managed interstellar travel with those primitive minds."

"Q..." Icheb growled. He did not want to hear riddles and games at the moment. He leaned back with a smirk. "Careful, you're beginning to sound just like your father."

Q Junior reared back as if physically struck. Icheb had learned to fight back over the years, and judging by the sharp riposte (Q Junior hated any comparison to his father), Icheb clearly had learned from the best.

"Just tell this primitive mortal exactly what you want me to know."

"That's it!" the extra-dimensional being answered. If Q could summon a mariachi band, he would have. "That's just how you need to tell Naomi how you feel about her, plain and simple." He gestured widely with a manic grin. "Father always said that Chakotay and Aunt Kathy could have saved years of heartbreak if they would have just had a straight forward conversation, much like Seven did with the Doctor."

He placed a hand reassuringly on Icheb's shoulder. "You don't need any grand gestures or public displays of affection. She's not really the type for that."

Icheb nodded. One amorous Bolian serenaded her in front of her entire quantum mechanics class. The young half-Ktarian quickly ended any intentions immediately after that fiasco.

"All I have to do is simply tell her how I feel." He frowned slightly, "She's turned down every relationship that has come her way."

"Because none of them were you," Q said. His eyes narrowed in conspiracy. "If you want some motivation, I could pop over, say, ten years into the future?" He raised his fingers up in a snapping gesture.

Honestly Icheb had wanted, really, desperately wanted to find out what his future would be. Would it be as captain of a starship? A professor at the Academy? Would Naomi be by his side in either case?

He thought back long ago to a carefree day of his youthful life on Voyager. Like always, he and Naomi were together about to embark on a holographic program when she had accidentally revealed the end to that story. Needless to say it completely spoiled the entire outing for him, leaving him greatly disappointed. Revealing his future would be the same. It was not the ending that mattered, but the journey itself.

The Brunalian shook his head slowly, "No, Q-ball. I don't need to know, but thank you for your advice." He really was grateful for disturbing his friend out of the blue for what must be in Q's mind, such a trivial topic.

The pan-dimensional being disappeared from sight with a flash from his fingertips, but not after giving Icheb his trademarked manic smile.

It was time for him to re-embark to his ship, but Icheb had felt more hopeful than he had in weeks.

VOYVOYVOYVOYVOY

Former cadet Naomi Wildman ran her hands down the smooth cloth of her dress in a compulsive gesture. It was her graduation party after suffering through the arduous years at the Academy. The ceremony itself was lovely. Her mother, father, and the entire former crew of Voyager had showed up to see their first Voyager baby soon joining their ranks.

Well, almost the entire crew.

Icheb had been assigned to the USS Mateo with Captain Foster, which was unfortunately waylaid on Deep Space Nine for repairs.

Her best friend. She missed Icheb terribly her last school years after he had been assigned to his first starship. He had been by her side ever since she was a plebe first setting foot on the Academy grounds. Sure she had visited him often before enrolling, but the real stress of coursework and professors was another experience entirely.

And he wasn't here _now_. This was the best moment of her life, graduating with high achievement, and he hadn't even been present to see her walk across the stage to receive her commendation.

The female members of Voyager's crew looked on in slight amusement as they noticed her wan smiles and listless attitude.

"The girl's lovesick and in complete denial about it!" One of the Delaney sisters muttered.

"Just tell him!" B'Elanna encouraged.

Seven stated, "He will be suitable companion for you." Though the wording was terse, Naomi could interpret that the statuesque blonde was extremely proud of her "son," and approved of Naomi for him. No one understood the ordeal that the famous crew of Voyager suffered, except for one of their own.

Janeway, the famed leader and force of nature, merely grasped her by the shoulders and looked straight into Naomi's brown eyes. "Don't wait. You know how you feel about him."

"What about how he feels about me?"

The Admiral smiled fondly, "I always said I had the bravest Captain's Assistant in the Galaxy," before being whisked away to a dance in the arms of her former first officer.

The tattooed man capably led the object of his affections around the dance floor, "Is it time?"

The red-haired woman raised a knowing look back at him, "He said 2100 hours."

The pair grinned knowing something momentous was about to happen.

Excusing herself with some eagerness, Naomi dashed out onto the open courtyard of the spacious hall that Starfleet Headquarters had granted to host her graduation party. Knowing an Admiral certainly had its privileges. Her last comm to Icheb on Deep Space Nine had him sending his regrets for missing her graduation ceremony, but promising a nice surprise for the party afterwards. She hoped it was that popular holonovel she'd been wanting.

She stared up at the moonlit fountain just thinking of how she gotten to this moment in her life. From being born in an alternate timeline in the middle of a battle, growing up on a Galaxy-class ship and being raised with Borg children, now she was about to embark on her own adventure. Her longer, darker blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, tied with a decorative clip given to her by Icheb on her last birthday.

VOYVOYVOYVOYVOY

All of her friends had flocked to the newly promoted Ensign during her birthday party. Not only was he famous, but tall, dark, and handsome. Yet he wouldn't turn an eye to any of them, only keeping his attention on Naomi.

"Oh he was so attentive to you, Naomi! He stepped in out of nowhere to chase off that stubborn Betazoid who wouldn't accept a no from you."

"And he fetched cake and punch for you!" another of her friends gushed.

"Is he involved with anyone?" was their prevailing question.

VOYVOYVOYVVOYVOY

The half-Ktarian could only scowl remembering their infatuation as she leaned against the bubbling stone fountain. Icheb was not an object to be fawned over. He was so much more, and yet he wasn't perfect. He could be obsessed with order, arrogant, stubborn, and...

...and standing right in front of her.

The Brunalian smiled softly, "Surprise, happy graduation!"

"Icheb! You're supposed to be on DS9! How did you get here? I didn't even hear the transport beam!" She ran to him unsure if he was a holoprojection or real, her arms opened in astonishment.

Icheb gathered her small hands in his larger ones, "Captain Foster granted me leave for a few days while repairs were underway on the Mateo. I suspect Janeway had a hand in it."

Naomi gasped. "No wonder why she was being so mysterious today! She knew you were coming!" She couldn't love her mentor any more than she already did.

"I couldn't miss the most important night of your life, Naomi Wildman."

She grinned fondly. It was a Borg habit to address her by her full name, one they had never broken even after arriving to Earth. That Icheb could say it in that low voice of his sent shivers down her spine.

He still had not released her hands.

"Naomi, I wanted to give you your graduation present."

"What? You're here. That's the best graduation present I could ever be given."

The warm press of his lips against hers stopped any further queries, and she looked up with wide, astonished eyes after he pulled back.

"That is what I wanted to give you," Icheb murmured, his face flushed from the action.

"Oh,' Naomi whispered. The pair remained facing close together. She could see the fine detail in his cybernetic implant above his left eye.

He began to pull away, but she merely squeezed his hand, beckoning him to remain where he was. "I changed my mind. That was the best gift ever."

Icheb smiled warmly, and reached up rubbing a gentle hand across her spikes. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine this outcome.

"I don't want to miss any more important days in your life. In fact, I want to be a part of them." He hesitated in uncertainty, "You're my best friend, Naomi Wildman. I don't want to alter the parameters of our friendship, but I do want us to become something more."

Naomi shook her head. "Then don't think of it as a change, more like expanding our parameters," she said with a beautiful smile.

The former Borg drone chuckled warmly. The young woman could always talk him into doing anything, even if it went against his logical nature. It was no wonder he only had eyes for her.

"I take it you are not adverse to my impulsive action?"

The half-Ktarian let out a laugh, and merely drew his face back to her own.

Inside, the happy party-goers swayed on the dance floor, waiting for the newest pair to soon join them.

VOYOVYOYVOYVOY

Hidden away, Q Junior looked on at the couple with a proud smile. With a snap of his powers, he whisked himself away leaving them to their privacy.

A lone item stood against a wall, a soft sound emanating from the solid wooden structure. The crib, hand carved by her Uncle Chakotay, housed a mewling infant.

The omnipotent being leaned in gently calming the baby with a touch.

"There, there Sabrina. Everything will be alright."

If Icheb would have asked, Q Junior would have brought him here to this exact point in time. Though her coloring was of her father, the small spikes on her forehead were definitely a sign of who her mother was.

"I think you're the most beautiful baby in the universe," he told the sleepy girl with a grin, "But then again I am your godfather."

As Sabrina gently drifted off in slumber, Q Junior could only remark, "Just wait until your parents meet you."

* * *

><p><em>This fanfiction came about from watching Shattered. There are moments where the adult Icheb just looks so fondly at Naomi. Again, I am a writing parasite. Many scenes and descriptions were taken from Voyager episodes – Shattered, Resolutions, and Q2. Sabrina was taken from Endgame, and as always inspired by other NaomiIcheb stories on this website._

_Please review,_

_Grignard_


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